Apparatus for utilizing the waste of celluloid and similar substances.



- PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907. E. GARBIN. v APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE WASTEOF GELLULOID AND SIMILAR SUBSTANGBS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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"No. 874,181. PATENTED DEC. 17, 1907. E. GARBIN.

APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE WASTE 0F GBLLULOID AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

42 35 52 l 45 35 J- h V 40- 3,? 50 f 4/ No. 874,181. A PATENTED DEC. 17,1907.

E. GARBIN. APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE WASTE OE CELLULOID AND SIMILARSUBSTANCES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- no: nouns PETER! 0a., wuumqmu, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNESTO GARBIN, OF GENOA, ITALY.

APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING THE WASTE OF CELLULOID AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNESTO GARBIN, manufacturer, citizen of the Kingdomof Italy, residing at Genoa, Piazza Porta Vecchia N. 11, Italy, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Utilizingthe Waste of Celluloid and Similar Substances, of which the following isa specification.

The object'of the present invention is a process for utilizing the wasteof celluloid, and other similar substances containing nitro cellulosewhich process permits of obtaining a better result than any which hasbeen obtained up to the present.

The essential characteristic of this process is to obtain as the finalproduct the isolated ingredients which compose the celluloid,principally camphor, nitric acid, cellulose, napht alene, coloringmatters, fatty acids ,etc.

Explained in a few words, the'process comprises two operations, the oneby dry process and the other by wet rocess. A portion of the material issubmitted to the first operation or dry process and another portion ofthe material to the other operation or wet process, using a portion ofthe products obtained by the first operation for completing a reactionwhich forms part of the second operation, for the purpose of 0btainingthe maximum produce of the entire process.

According to the operation by dry process, a certain quantity of thewaste celluloid, selecting by preference the fragments and pieces whichare not too small, is inclosed in a space, which is little accessible toair and a decomposition or combustion is slowly produced there byplunging into the material a body which is at a high temperature. Inconsequence of this operation, the camphor contained in the celluloid isdistilled unaltered and deposits itself partly in the form ofincrustations on the Walls, partly it is dissolved in the risingnitrites, and the remainder combines with the other gases in suitablecollectors. These gases are then submitted to a cooling process and theparts which can condense, condense into a strongly acid liquid, whichcontains a large proportion of nitric acid and of camphor dissolved innitrites.

According to the second operation or wet process, another portion of thewaste of celluloid is treated with a concentrated solution of soda orcaustic potash and will form nitrate of soda or of potash, cellulose,coloring matters and soapsof the different fatty acids, which remain inthe bath, besides the camphor, and eventually the naphthalene, which areprojected by a steam jet into a bath of bisulfite of soda, in which theyare purified by depositing the acetones, and aldehydes, etc. The samesteam jet carries the camphor and the naphthalene into a bath of coldwater, where they condense. on the surface in the form of very whitesnow.

Into the first bath ofsoda or caustic potash, after the waste has beenintroduced, andas soon as it is seen that it has. reached a density of1.45, the acid liquid obtained from the dry process operation is addedto it. The

soda is thus completely saturated in the state of nitrate, and, afteranother passage of steam (the same as before) the process is finishedand there remains only the separating from each other, by knownprocesses, the different products that have been obtained.

It must be observed, before commencing either the dry process operationor the wet process operation, that the material to be treated must firstbe submitted to urification, which is done by washing it with slightlyalkaline water at a temperature of 40 to 50. In this bath a portion ofthe foreign matters (such as sand, mold, metallic particles, etc.,) areprecipitated, another portion (small pieces of wood, straw, paper, etc.)floats on the surface, and the celluloid waste remains perceptible inthe water. At this washing the grease is also removed from the material.

In the process explained, use may be made of apparatus of differentshapes or kinds, but

the apparatus which is hereinafter described and is shown in thedrawings, is the one that is preferred, and it also forms part of theinvention.

Figure 1 is a plan partly in horizontal section of an apparatus forperforming the dry part of the process provided by my invention. Fig. 2is a view of the tool used in connection with Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is avertical section of the feeding device used in connection with theapparatus for performing the wet part of my improved process. Fig. 4 isa plan of Fig. 3, the right hand portion showing the drum removed. Fig.5 is avertical section of the main portion of the apparatus used for thewetprocess.

Material to be dealt with by the dry process is deposited in a smallcylinder 1, which has a window or opening 2 in the wall and which has anend perforated with holes 3, while at the other end the cylinderterminates in a stopper head 4. This small cylinder, thusv filled, isintroduced into the mouth of a tube 5 so that one tube hermeticallyseals the other.

The tubes 5 are arranged. in series or groups, for instance of six, asshown in the drawing and they pass through a refrigerator 6, they enterthen into a collecting tube 7, which abuts on the one side into areceiver 8 and on the other side it passes into a suitable exhaustchimney. The whole series, shown in plan in the drawing, and thecollecting tube, form a suitable slope towards the receiver 8. Each ofthe tubes 5 has, in connection with the window 2 of the cylinder 1, ahole 9, which is capable of being hermetically closed by a stopper 10,the stem of which is long enough to enter into the material contained inthe small cylinder 1.

In order to start the operation, the stopper 10 of the correspondinghole 9 is removed and its stem is heated to a temperature of about 300.Then the stem is put in its place again and thus commences a slowcombustion of the material, the products of combustion passing throughthe perforated end 3 and then expanding in the tube 5. A portion ofthese products precipitates on the walls, another portion condenses andcombines in the liquid state in the receiver 8, and the remainingproducts, in the state of gas, escape into the air through the exhaustchimney. From time to time the incrusta tions are removed from the tubes5 and they are passed into the collectors 7 and 8, by means of aninstrument 11, composed of a rod provided with a screw, with lengthenedthread, and of adiameter slightly less than that of the tubes 5. v

The operation by wet process is carried out in the apparatus shown inFigs. 3, 4 and 5. 20 is the reservoir, in which the reaction of thecaustic soda on the waste celluloid or the matter to be treated isperformed, which reservoir communicates at its top by means of tube 21.with the bottom of the reservoir 22, where the bath of bisulfite of sodais placed the reservoir 22 communicates similarly at its top, by meansof the tube 23, with the bottom of condensing reservoir 24, which isplaced lower down than the other apparatus and contains cold water. Thereservoirs 20 and 22 are provided with stirrers or agitators 25, 25suitably operated from the outside. The said reservoirs 20 and 22,respectively, are charged with caustic soda or caustic potash and withbisulfite of soda and water, by means of the inlet pipes 26, operating,if this should be necessary, escape valve 27. The material is fed fromthe bottom, by means of two twin-tubes 28, 29, with the assistance ofthe distributer shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The upper ends of the tubes 28 and 29 coincide with corresponding holesdrilled in the plate 30, which is stationary and suitably supported, forinstance by means of the legs 31. On this plate a drum 32 is arrangedwhich can revolve on a shaft 33, which has its bearings in holes in thetable 30 and in the covering plate 34, which reposes on the drum 32 andis fastened to the plate 30, by means of bolts 35.

The drum 32 is provided with a rack 36, by means of which it can be putin rotation through the intermediary of suitable gearing, operated bythe handle 37. This drum is perforated with four holes 38, 39, 40, 41which during the rotation of the drum 32 successively coincide, two andtwo, with the ends or openings of the tubes 28 and 29.

The plate 34 is traversed in correspondence with the openings 28 and 29with steam pipes, the inlet valves of which are operated by the cam 46in such a manner, that the valve 44 opens, when a couple of the holessay 40, 41, are in correspondence with the tubes 28, 29, and close soonafter in order to reopen as soon as the successive couple 38, 39 arriveat the place of the preceding couple, and so on; the other valve followsa similar movement, the phases of which are however in opposition.

The plate 34 has an opening 47 which extends over the space of about aquarter of a circle and becomes narrower radially almost up to thecenter in such a manner that at each quarter of a revolution one of theholes of the drum 32 (in the drawing the hole 38 is shown) arrives incorrespondence with this opening and consequently becomes uncove'red.The workman then fills it with the waste material, which according tothe rotation of the drum, slides on to the plate 30,- until it arrivesat the opening of the tube 23. At this moment the valve 44 opens andadmits the steam which forces it to enter from below into the chamber20. In the meantime the workman has filled the following hole 41, and inproportion as the latter ad vances and the valve 44 closes again, thevalve 45 opens in order to admit fresh steam to the reservoir 20 throughthe tube 29, until, as more waste material arrives in the tube 29, theprimitive phases recommence.

For the qualities of waste material which do not contain camphor, forinstance in the waste of velvril, artificial silk, artificial cork,collodion, pyroxylin, and the like, the operation is confined to asimple hot treatment with caustic soda in the reservoir 20, and thesteam jet and the baths 22 and 24, which cause the recovery of thecamphor, and eventually of the naphthalene, become unnecessary.

In the case of explosive substances, cordite, filite, ballistite,panclastite, guncotton etc., special precautions must be taken andespecially that the temperature does not rise above 60 and it is alsonecessaryto introduce such substances by hand into the bath 20 and notby means of the automatic distributer shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

i I do not claim herein the improved process set forth, as such processforms the subject matter of a divisional application filed by me March29, 1906, Serial No. 308,697.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for utilizing the waste of celluloid and similarsubstances, a series of containers for such substance, and stoppersadapted to be heated and placed in such containers for producing acombustion of such substances therein.

2. In an apparatus for utilizing the waste of celluloid and similarsubstances, a series of tubes, a series of cylinders fitting therein,and stoppers adapted to be heated and placed in such cylinders toproduce a combustion of the substance therein.

3. In an apparatus for utilizing the waste of celluloid and similarsubstances, a series of tubes, a series of cylinders fitting therein,stoppers adapted to be heated and placed in such cylinders to produce acombustion of the substance therein, and a refrigerator surrounding suchtubes.

4. In an apparatus for utilizing the waste of celluloid and similarsubstances, a series of tubes, a series of cylinders fitting therein,stoppers adapted to be heated and placed in such cylinders to produce acombustion of the substance therein, a refrigerator surrounding suchtubes, and a receiver connected with such tubes.

5. In an apparatus for utilizing the waste of celluloid and similarsubstances, a feeding mechanism comprising a rotatin drum having aplurality of holes adapte to successively receive the material to beacted upon, and a feed pipe arranged beneath said drum and adapted tosuccessively receive the contents of said holes and means for coveringsaid holes when in, coincidence with such feed pipe.

6. In an apparatus for utilizing the-waste of celluloid and similarsubstances, a feeding mechanism comprising a rotating drum having aplurality of holes adapted to successively receive the material to beacted upon, a feed pipe arranged beneath said drum and adapted tosuccessively receive the contents of said holes, a steam pipe, and anautomatic valve adapted to open to permit the steam to force thematerial from said holes as they successively register with said feedpipe,-and to close when such holes are out of register therewith.

7. In an apparatus for utilizing the waste of celluloid and similarsubstances, a feeding mechanism comprising a rotatin drum having aplurality of holes adapte to succes sively receive the material to beacted upon, a plurality of feed pipes arranged beneath said drum andadapted to receive the contents of said holes when the latter arebrought into registering position therewith, a steam pipe, and aplurality of valves adapted to open to permit the steam to force themate rial from said holes as they register with such feed pipes and toclose when. said holes are out of register therewith.

8. In an apparatus for utilizing the waste of celluloid or similarsubstances, a feeding mechanism comprising a top plate having anopening, a receiving device below said plate and having an opening whichis out of register with the opening of said top plate, and a memberinterposed between such plate and device and having a passage adapted tobe brought into coincidence with either of said openings when saidmember is moved, said top plate covering the top of said passage whenthe latter is in coincidence with the opening in said receiving device.

9. In an apparatus for utilizing the waste of celluloid or similarsubstances, a feeding mechanism comprising a top plate having anopening, a receiving device below said plate and having a plurality ofopenings, which are out of register with the opening of said top plate,and a rotative member interposed between such plate and device andhaving a plurality of passages, said member being adapted to be rotatedto successively bring such passages into coincidence with the openingsof said plate and said member, said top plate covering the tops of saidpassages when the latter are in coincidence with the openings of saidreceiving device.

10. In an apparatus for utilizing the waste of celluloid or similarsubstances, a feeding mechanism comprising a top plate having anopening, a receiving device below said plate and having an opening whichis out of register with. the opening of said top plate, and a memberinterposed between such plate and device and having a passage adapted tobe brought into coincidence with either of said openings when saidmember is moved, said top plate covering the top of said passage whenthe latter is in coincidence with the opening in said receiving device,and means for forcing the contents of said passage into the opening ofsaid receiving device.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ERNESTO GARBIN.

Witnesses:

, GIOVANNI GERARD,

CARLO GERARD.

